Mastering what do you all use?

[mooter]

Yeah but is mastering fixing a song that doesnt work?
The song should already work. It may be more than just a nice pain job, but if the engines broken I dont think thats the Master's job, but the builder of the engine.
And whos to say a shitty mechanic is going to going to be lower priced than a good one?

I'd like to get into practicing mastering, knowing full well that there is expensive equipment you don't really hear about as much as recording studios and gear.
And I've realized also why I might put faith in someone to do it for me. Its the same reason a Master will tell you. An objective unattached outside view of the record. A Masters job is to make the best out of it, technically and capturing and accenting whatever elements are requested. So as long as there is good communication between artist and Master, and if the Master is good, you might find you might not have done as good of a job yourself. Well they also get all the levels right and little things to get consistency and artifacts, dithering etc.

If I got a killer album and if I can afford to pay Emily Lazar and she likes it, I'll do so, Xarc as well
(tho, sorry Xarc I shrugged my shoulders hearing comparisons)
Ordered Bob Katz Mastering Audio and am looking forward. Might post a thread asking if anyone whos productions skills might not be all that, if they want to send them to me I'd like to practice and for fun.
We all have something to teach and something to learn.

[AudioMole]

chriss:

Your analogy is perfect...for the person with a Ferrari an engine rebuild should be left to a professional. For the average guy with a pushrod V8 Ford Mustang however, a successful DIY engine rebuild using basic tools is realistic.

Let's face it...most guys with Tracktion are hobbyists and assuming you're mastering a simple project or a garage band recording I don't think pro mastering is always necessary to get great results.

I plan on mastering my own material...the results couldn't possibly be any WORSE than some of the "professionally" mastered big label releases that I've heard lately.

[Innominandum]

And I've realized also why I might put faith in someone to do it for me. Its the same reason a Master will tell you. An objective unattached outside view of the record.

This is the best argument I've seen so far.

I don't buy the car engine analogy. Man, the lengths I sometimes go to... I'd probably end up building my own machining tools, to build the wrench, to assemble the engine. Hehe.

I don't buy the "you'll never be as good" bullshit either. You have to start somewhere. A good way to start is to practice on your own music. I also practice on inadequately mastered albums or demos I own. As you get better, you get to ruin other people's music too. As you get more serious you get better equipment.

So why write music when there is perfectly good music on the radio? Those guys have been at it for years. Give up now. You'll never be as good.

[multree]

for pure mastering I use...

T-RackS - most of the time
Vintage Warmer, MasterQ, Quantum-fx sometimes

[mooter]

Now that I think of it I should try out Reaktor for some mastering ensembles

[DWS]

If you are going to do your own mastering, why not just fix it in the mix (since presumably you have your own raw tracks)? I thought the point was to move the project outside for a different perspective to correct for problems that you can't perceive because, if you could, you would have corrected them in the mix in the first place?

[chriss]

"I plan on mastering my own material...the results couldn't possibly be any WORSE than some of the "professionally" mastered big label releases that I've heard lately."

I cant argue with that.
read this
http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.n ... 2E005DAF1C
and this
http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.n ... 88001A7623

[Mr. Tingle]

I recently used xarc for mastering ( www.xarcmastering.com ) to see what all the fuss is about.

There is no doubt about it, it is a whole new ball game when it comes to mastering. Xarx could not be accused of over-cooking a song (in terms of volume), and seemed to add something that rounded things out, added clarity and depth.

You can check out what they did for me at www.arcadia-records.com/michael.htm the song that was mastered is called method.

The most useful thing (apart from the master) was having a professional sound person give some insight. I'm considering having them do the whole album. It sets your mind at ease somewhat to know that your music has a good chance of sounding good on all sorts of music systems.

[mooter]

Yes cosindering Xarc once I have some good new material, and the price seems doable.

[christianmusicmaker]

A real Mastering studio is the best, because of all the reasons stated and also a fresh experienced Mastering Engineer who does it for a living and knows how to make it sound right!

Possibly but not everyone can afford to do that

A way around the room problem is to use proper monitors at low to moderate volume, supplemented with a good pair of headphones for double checking the bass. If the headphones have an honest low end you can then hear the low end without the room interfering.

That is pretty much how I go about it at the moment.

Well I can understand hiring a mastering guy to do the job right. But how can you learn when you sluff everything off to somebody else? Why not just leave the music writing to Bach while you're at it...

I agree you have to learn somehow. Is mastering really that difficult?
Are T racks and Ozone useless? I use Ozone and it sounds great surely it is possible to master your own stuff...?

I'd like to get into practicing mastering, knowing full well that there is expensive equipment you don't really hear about as much as recording studios and gear.
And I've realized also why I might put faith in someone to do it for me. Its the same reason a Master will tell you. An objective unattached outside view of the record. A Masters job is to make the best out of it, technically and capturing and accenting whatever elements are requested. So as long as there is good communication between artist and Master, and if the Master is good, you might find you might not have done as good of a job yourself. Well they also get all the levels right and little things to get consistency and artifacts, dithering etc.

Cost is the main barrier again

Let's face it...most guys with Tracktion are hobbyists and assuming you're mastering a simple project or a garage band recording I don't think pro mastering is always necessary to get great results.

I plan on mastering my own material...the results couldn't possibly be any WORSE than some of the "professionally" mastered big label releases that I've heard lately.

Interesting point!Few may argue with you on that one!

You have to start somewhere. A good way to start is to practice on your own music. I also practice on inadequately mastered albums or demos I own. As you get better, you get to ruin other people's music too. As you get more serious you get better equipment.

So why write music when there is perfectly good music on the radio? Those guys have been at it for years. Give up now. You'll never be as good.

It is true. It might take far longer to do but it will cost less in the long run and you would have gained a valuable skill as well.Thats my opinion anyway. I want to learn myself, but appreciate the wisdom in taking it to a professional to do it.

I just do not want to pay someone to do something I can do probably do myself. (Improving all the time)

for pure mastering I use...

T-RackS - most of the time
Vintage Warmer, MasterQ, Quantum-fx sometimes

Ever taken your stuff to a mastering house Multree?

What sort of results are you getting doing it yourself?

I thought the point was to move the project outside for a different perspective to correct for problems that you can't perceive because, if you could, you would have corrected them in the mix in the first place?

I would not want to move the project elsewhere. I would want to do it all in one host.It cannot be that difficult.Also I do not see mastering as a corrective process, rather a refining process.

The most useful thing (apart from the master) was having a professional sound person give some insight. I'm considering having them do the whole album. It sets your mind at ease somewhat to know that your music has a good chance of sounding good on all sorts of music systems.

Great if you can afford it.

[Ixox]

Sometimes PSP Stereo enhancer...
Then most of the time FIRIUM...
Then always PSP Vintage Warmer and TLS_Maximizer.

[christianmusicmaker]

Sometimes PSP Stereo enhancer...
Then most of the time FIRIUM...
Then always PSP Vintage Warmer and TLS_Maximizer.

I have looked at Firium but may go for Equim instead...unlimited bands and all that.

[Ixox]

Sometimes PSP Stereo enhancer...
Then most of the time FIRIUM...
Then always PSP Vintage Warmer and TLS_Maximizer.

I have looked at Firium but may go for Equim instead...unlimited bands and all that.

Try to read some info about linear phase EQ.
Firium is one of this kind and so is better in complex audio (mastering)... Huge latency so cannot be used in a mix...
You tried firium and you find it does not have enough band ???? You can almost draw your curve..

Eqium is perfect in a mix (on one track).

One is 129$ both are 169$.... Buy both...

[.jon]

I use mostly my ears and a rather time-consuming technique called T&E (Trial and Error). The tools change all the time as better ones come out.

As what comes to the discussion on pros vs DIY... I've found out that my ears are quite capable of their job of listening, but someone with 20 years of experience and 50 grand worth of shiny equipment prolly has also a pair of hands that know what they do.

In any case, the max level of quality I can achieve @ home is good enough for me, thanks to modern CPUs and DACs.

IMO 90% of the perceived quality of music is in the tune, 9% in the mix and only the final 1% comes from the mastering.

[l0ss]

I'm mastering my next disc right now and I actually just had this conversation with my studio engineer. He was telling me that mastering was originally a technique for vinyl to make sure that the blade didn't punch thru the dub plate or cut joining grooves. For digital audio the process should only be needed to equalize track levels across the disc for a consistent sound. So I went back to my mix worked on that for a while, and sure enough I got a good master using only a limiter to bring up levels. Re-EQing and Compressing are largely unneeded. That said, I use T-Racks because it has the best sounding comrpessor and limiter (IMHO).